Introduction: Lack of motor coordination and poor social skills are among the major challenges faced by children with intellectual disabilities. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a body percussion training program on motor coordination and social skills development in children with intellectual disabilities.
Methods: The research employed a semi-experimental design with a pretest–posttest control group structure. The statistical population consisted of all female students with mild intellectual disability enrolled in special primary schools in Dezful during the academic year 2023–2024. From this population, 26 students were selected based on specific inclusion criteria and randomly assigned to experimental (n = 13) and control (n = 13) groups. Motor coordination was assessed using the Körperkoordinationstest für Kinder (KTK), and social skills were evaluated using the Gresham and Elliott (1990) Social Skills Rating System (SSRS). All participants completed the pretest. The experimental group participated in an 18-session body percussion program (three 45-minute sessions per week for six weeks), while the control group continued their regular daily routines without any rhythmic intervention. All training sessions were conducted in a gymnastics hall under strict adherence to health protocols and direct supervision by the researcher. Post test assessments were administered to all participants at the end of the intervention. Data was analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) at a significance level of α = 0.05 with SPSS software (version 27).
Results: Results indicated that the body percussion program significantly improved both social skills (p < 0.01) and motor coordination (p < 0.01) in children with intellectual disabilities.
Conclusion: Overall, the findings suggest that body percussion training is an effective intervention for enhancing motor coordination and social skills in this population.